Southern Hospitality

Our principal, Dan Brooks is along on the trip, and his sister happens to live here in Birmingham, has for 25 years, so she was kind enough to take us up to the Bluff Park Diner for dinner. It's really nothing more than a hole in the wall, perched atop a ridge with a pretty decent view of the lights below. Had we not had a friendly dose of Southern Hospitality, it may have been Denny's for us tonight. We got treated to a treat.

The 40-some-odd party from Riverside entered, while the dining patrons read the writing on the wall and exited. Best for all concerned as we filled the entire place.

Good ol' Southern cookin' was the fare, "meat and three" as they call it. Country fried steak, collared greens, green eyed peas, creamed corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, you name it, if it could stick to the lining of your arteries, they served it. But my, was it good! Only Patrick, who has little else than nachos and fritos in his daily diet complained; Carissa and Rebecca and Kelsi and Danielle sang out in unison, "This stuff is good!" By the laughter and empty plates that littered and clanged around the room, it seemed Patrick was greatly outnumbered.